"Futurama" Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 8:34 AM, PST NEWS trailers and videos full cast and crew trivia official sites memorable quotes Overview 237 out of 252 people found the following review useful: A Misunderstood Series from San Jose, Ca 29 September 2004 Futurama is the whipping boy of modern prime time cartoons. Since it was made by the creator of the Simpsons it was expected to be exactly like it. Futurama had its own brand of comedic flair, which is absolutely hilarious. Bender, Fry, Leela, Hermes, Zoidberg, all of these characters are well thought out and work incredibly well together, on top of the fact that situations and anecdotes from previous episodes are brought up all the time, adding continuity to an already excellent series. I'll admit that I too was among the people crying foul when Futurama first came out, I didn't grow to truly appreciate it until it was put in syndication on adult swim, and more so later as I bought all the episodes on DVD.

I don't think the world was ready for what futurama had to offer when it first came out, and everyone should give it another shot through adult swim or by DVD rental. It has solid entertainment value, and a unique comedic style. 4.5 out of 5 stars Was the above review useful to you? 226 out of 247 people found the following review useful: "Now Zoidberg is the popular one!" from the minds of the weak. 8 November 2004 man, this show was freaking awesome, so of course it got canned. it was funny, had great characters, wonderful dialouge and was way too good for TV. In fact, at times I find myself enjoying this show more then the simpsons. I find myself enjoying the antics of the characters more. so if i had to choose i would say this is more entertaining then the simpsons. although the simpsons had more better side characters (although zapp brannagin and his alien sidekick are friggin hilarious) in the end, i would advise anyone looking for a laugh to catch reruns whenever you can or buy the dvds. I don't think you'll be disappointed. a wonderful show canned way too soon.

Was the above review useful to you? 239 out of 282 people found the following review useful: I actually like it better than The Simpsons Author: Aaron1375 10 March 2003 Don't get me wrong, I like the Simpsons, but there is just something about Futurama that I like more. It irks me to see people who hate this show and are glad it is cancelled. If you don't like a show just don't watch it...to many shows have gotten a premature axe these days mainly cause television networks haven't realized no show is going to have the ratings of shows from the past. I am sure to all those who hated the show, there have been shows you liked that have been cancelled as well. This one about a pizza boy frozen and waking up in the future was for me quite enjoyable. Which is the kiss of death right there, because if I like a show, it usually does get cancelled and it usually does have a pretty good following, but for some reason the networks still somehow think all shows should average 20 or more million viewers or its a failure. Was the above review useful to you?

196 out of 215 people found the following review useful: The best cartoon series on TV ever from Brisbane, Australia 13 October 2004 I loved Futurama when it was TV and I always find myself watching it on my DVD player ( I have all 4 series ). I think the thing that carries it above other cartoons ( and it's not like I don't like the Simpsons or Family Guy ) is the wonderful mix of characters. Dimwitted Phillip J. Fry, who has trouble constructing a coherent sentence and whenever he attempts to say something profound it invariably ends up flying back in his face. Turanga Leela, a outcast amongst outcasts, who when not brushing off Fry is captaining the ship between planets while wondering about her own origins. Bender, a wisecracking, gambling chain-smoking robot that is on the crew of the ship for no apparent reason apart from bumming around. Dr Zoidberg, a penniless joke of a medical practionioner that has no friends and seems to ignite hostility for just being him. Hermes Conrad, a Rastafarian bureaucrat who when not limboing for his nation is filing and shredding with an obsessive fever.

Professor Hubert J. Farnsworth, whose wonderous inventions are perhaps only eclipsed by his seemingly growing amorality towards almost all living things. Amy Wong, the daughter of the rich Wong family and as such finds herself slightly naive about things that are deeper than hair gel and nail polish. Add to this the military hijinks of Zapp Brannigan and his long-suffering lieutenant Kif Croker as well as thespian robot Calculon, Warlord alien Lur and President Nixon as well as others and I think you have a group of characters that all have their own quirks and flaws to add to a very funny show. I only hope that they have enough sense to put it back on again. Was the above review useful to you? 169 out of 185 people found the following review useful: Futurama - One of God's Gift to Animation. from Camarillo, California 8 December 2004 Looking for the a comedy cartoon with perfectly timed humor and characters that you actually want to meet and/or grope? Then Futurama is for you.

Whether you're looking for Science, Fiction, or Science Fiction, you're in for a treat as Fry, Leela, Bender, the Professor, Amy, Hermes, and to a much lesser extent Dr. Zoidberg travel through time and space to deliver/battle/mate with creatures/aliens/humanoid alien creatures from the past/future. Let's just say that if I had the choice between living and watching Futurama repeatedly for an eternity in purgatory, you would never see me again. 10/10, 5/5, 1/1, *****/***** from New York, NY 27 September 2004 I am a huge fan of THE SIMPSONS, the funniest show to ever be on television. When I heard Matt Groening was behind FUTURAMA I was excited...but not TOO excited because I didn't think it would be as good as THE SIMPSONS (I mean...what COULD be?) The first episode of FUTURAMA I was not all that impressed. But by the fourth episode (LOVES LABOURS LOST IN SPACE where Leela sleeps with Zap Brannigan) they had me: I was hooked.

This show may not be as laugh-out-loud funny as THE SIMPSONS but it is funny, clever, well-written and well "acted". The cast does a great job, especially those who have to do multiple voices (I will make special mention of Billy West here who does the voice of main character Fry. I was surprised to find out he does a lot of other characters too: Zoidberg and Farnsworth to mention just a few). If your not familiar the story goes like this: Philip Fry is a pizza delivery boy (or should I say "pizza delivery Man"...he's in his 20's although at times acts more like a teen than a grown-up) who is sort of a Born Loser type. He's working on New Years Eve (he runs into his girlfriend Michelle going to a New Years Eve party with another guy and "begins to suspect she's cheating") and ends up making a delivery to a cryogenic freezing lab. He accidentally freezes himself and when he's found and thawed out its New Years Eve 3000. In a way this sucks because everyone he knows is long dead.

But in a way its good because its a second chance for him to start life new and maybe be not such a loser this time around. Apparently after they thaw you out and probe you they insert a chip in your hand that helps place you in your field of expertise for a job. His chip is "Delivery Boy" and he doesn't want it so he is trying to avoid the sexy one-eyed alien woman Leela whose job it is to make sure he gets his chip put in. When he's notified he has a great-great-great-great (keep going) nephew named Professor Farnsworth he goes to seek him out. He goes to what he thinks is a pay phone booth and its actually a suicide machine...thats where he meets Bender a wise-ass,drinking,smoking robot who wants to kill himself because his main purpose is to aid in the making of suicide machines.

The two of them try to escape Leela and when she finally catches up to them she admits she doesn't like her job either so now the three of them seek out Professor Farnsworth to see if they can work for him.He runs an intergalactic delivery service and works with once-limbo champion Hermes, a rich girl intern named Amy,and a lobster-man doctor named Zoidberg. I feel funny pointing this out, but I will anyway: There's always a big to do about shows today not having interracial characters as friends working together and FUTURAMA definitely goes beyond the call of duty in that area. We have single white male Fry, white Cyclops alien/mutant female Leela, Asian female Amy, Senior citizen white male Farnsworth, African American male Hermes, male robot Bender as well as male crustacean Zoideberg! And they all work together wonderfully (and although they make a lot of rude jokes at each others expense you can tell they all really love each other! And this is a cartoon, folks!)A lesson to be learned: if these people can get along, cant we?) This show isn't on FOX Sundays anymore although there is rumor that it might come back.

A cable station shows re-runs and they have Seasons One, Two, Three and Four on DVD box sets. I bought myself the first season and my six year old daughter stole it from me! I quickly bought her the other three seasons and she's a real devotee now: watches an hour of FUTURAMA every night before she goes to sleep. We watch it together...which is a nice summary...FUTURAMA is a show both adults and children can enjoy. Here's hoping it makes a return. Out of 5 stars: ***** 5 stars Was the above review useful to you? 130 out of 145 people found the following review useful: Grade A Hilarity from Albion, New York 28 February 2003 I disagree with those who hate Futurama with a passion. On the contrary, I find the show so completely funny and original.

Let me explain what I mean: The plot of having a crude, broke pizza delivery-kid wander into a cryogenics lab and fall into a freezer shell for a thousand years is so creative...I'll expand further; He befriends a very well voiced "cyclops" mutant named Leela (Katey Sagal), a trash talking robot named Bender, his great, great,great (etc.) nephew Prof. Farnsworth, an alien-crab that sounds remarkably Jewish, Dr. Zoidberg, the list of imaginative characters and plot situations just doesn't stop! The humor is just awesome. I have never sat through Futurama once without laughing until I cried about something. I find it incredible that one could hold such disdain for the comedy. It really is so entertaining. But to each his own, I say. Fry: Wait you're the only friend I have... Bender: You really want a robot for a friend? Fry: Yeah ever since I was six. Bender: Well, ok but I don't want people thinking we're robosexuals, so if anyone asks, you're my debugger. Leela: Hey, he stole my ring! Bender: Sorry.

Well, that solves the mystery of the missing ring. This calls for a drink. Farnsworth: Let me show you around. That's my lab table and this is my work-stool. And over there is my intergalactic spaceship. And here's where I keep assorted lengths of wire. Fry: Whoa! A real live spaceship! Farnsworth: I designed it myself, let me show you some of the different lengths of wire I used. Just a sampling of the amusing lines in the show. Thanks all! Was the above review useful to you? 134 out of 153 people found the following review useful: Can be watched till the end of time.. from USA 30 September 2004 Futurama is the second series by Matt Groening. Now when I was watching The Simpsons one idea was that why we can't see this guy more, why he is only behind a widely known TV series while poking some other people. But with Futurama I say he is (OK, was) unleashed. Futurama deals with moron pizza delivery boy Fry being accidentally frozen and wake up 1000 years after into a whole new world.

Strangely this is not the story of the Fry's adaptation, because he is not. He is still the same stupid guy back in 20th century.. Maybe a little improvement but that's all.. Then we meet Leela, who is the only cyclops alien in the whole galaxy (as far as she knows), orphan, different from others. Last but not least the main cast includes Bending Unit Bender which is a robot. Nice thing about him is that the general idea of a robot is that they are always serving and helping and supporting, but Bender does not. He lies, cheats, steals... Then the supporting cast has the cute and horny Chinese (or Japanese?) Amy, Fry's great^20 nephew professor Farnsworth with crazy inventions but an unstable mind, doctor Zoidberg that mastered on human medical but not a human itself, Jamaican manager who is a qualified limbo master and denying machine... I like Futurama because it creates an unexpected, yet tempting future and combines it with cunning references and a strange comedy style. It's range of poking is 'wider'..

Futurama can turn any depressed mood to a happy mood if just the watcher accepts the fact that show does not require a deep concentration for the whole concept, but likes to catch it slowly by using trivial extras and nicely planted sci-fi references. This show was one of the best. Ever. It's a pity that it was canceled an I pity the fool who canceled it. Such things should continue till the end of time.. Thanks to the makers of DVD, they partially do. Futurama is mandatory for all sci-fi and comedy lovers, and highly recommended for everyone else. Was the above review useful to you? 99 out of 113 people found the following review useful: Equal parts clever, hilarious, and moving, Futurama is the greatest animated series ever. Reviews of Volume 3 and 4 Volume 3: 10/10 Futurama was even funnier than The Simpsons in its heyday (which, to my eyes, was seasons 8-10), and much of what made the series so great was perfectly exemplified by the DVD collection volume 3.

There's an equal mix of cool sci-fi tales, brilliantly creative humor, and the addition of genuine heart that made this show unbeatable. Favorite Episodes: Time Keeps on Slipping, Amazon Women in the Mood, Parasites Lost, The Luck of the Fryfish, That's Lobstertainment Volume 4: 10/10 Probably my favorite volume, this last collection of episodes has all the humor, heart, and beautiful animation of the previous seasons. As the show wound to a close, the series satisfyingly touched on many emotional levels that most shows, animated or otherwise, wouldn't even dare approach with a ten-foot pole (most exemplified by Jurassic Bark). Special mention must definitely go out to the final episode, The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings, which is one of the series' best episodes (the only flaw being the lack of screen time given to Farnsworth), full of big laughs (Dan Castallaneta's guest role as the Robot Devil is priceless) and a strong emotional climax, capping off with a touching final scene that provides a sense of closure between the love and burgeoning romance of heroes Fry and Leela, while still keeping an open door for future possibilities.

Fry, Leela, Bender, Farnsworth, Zapp, Kif, Calculon, Chicken Lawyer, Robot Devil, Morbo; I'm gonna miss you all. No doubt, it's been a great four seasons. Favorite episodes: The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings, The Farnsworth Parabox, Where No Fan Has Gone Before, Kif Gets Knocked Up a Notch Was the above review useful to you? 109 out of 145 people found the following review useful: All hail, the NEW king of animated series. from Sheffield, England 20 September 2000 While the later episodes of The Simpson's have suffered, Futurama has matured, far more quickly than the Simpson's did, into a fantastic work of animation. The similarities between the Simpson's are obvious and not to be ignored. A show as good as The Simpson's was is ripe for theft and Futurama, the brainchild of Matt Groening, borrows well from the former show. Bender is the Homer Simpson, devoid of responsibility, yet, as this lack of responsibility is placed in a robot, we do not have to feel anger at his wayward ways.

Leela is the far less annoying Marge. Less annoying for the simple facts. A) She has something resembling a personality, something that Marge definitely suffered from. and B) You can listen to her speak without wanting to kill yourself. Fry however grounds the show with the emotional base that made the Simpson's great. A Pizza delivery boy from the 20th century transported forwards in time 1000 years into a world that he knows nothing about. While our imaginations might find it a little too easy coming to terms with the future and all the few new inventions that go with it (Perhaps a nod to how poor an inventor Farnsworth is that there seems nothing overly unusual about this future), we forgive this minor blip and embrace Groening new world vision. As with The Simpson's, Groening has given us a host of superb background characters. Zoidberg the lobster Doctor, Amy daughter of money, Hermes the Jamaican limbo champion who keeps the business together and of course Zap Brannigan, the genius of lacklustre. All of these characters are easily the match of Chief Wiggum, Smithers, Krusty, Frink, etc.

Groening, clearly by taking the best writers from the Simpson's with him when he jumped ship, has done the impossible and found an animated series that is superior to the unsurpassable Simpson's. Groening's world is a good one. And so is his show. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 30: Robot | Futurama Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit An Early Model of Robot The first robots were crude beings created by humanity to hеlp with a variety of tasks. The earliest of these robots were created at the end of the 29th century. Over the course of the next century, robots would come to be a part of Earth culture, to the extent that by 3000 academic institutions offered the subject of Robo-American Studies. Throughout the centuries robots remained "slow moving, stiff, and a little on the uptight side." But on October 17th, 2928 Hubert J.

Farnsworth , working for MomCorp , discovered that by sacrificing fuel efficiency he could create a "bigger, sportier robot." It didn't meet emission standards, but MomCorp was able to get around this by marketing it as a "Sport Utility Robot" classified as a light truck. Environmental Consequences Edit The modern robot is fueled by alcohol and gives off greenhouse gasses primarily through flaming burps, which eventually drove Earth to the brink of destruction via global warming. Though President Nixon and Dr. Wernstrom plotted to destroy all robots to save the planet, the Earth was saved when Farnsworth had all the robots vent their gases straight up at once, thereby moving Earth further from the sun and cooling it. The Future of Earth's Robots Edit In 3004 Mom's Friendly Robot Company released a new model of robot known as Robot 1-X . Unlike earlier models, Robot 1-X doesn’t malfunction and has a more friendly personality. Perhaps in response to the near destruction of Earth by robot-generated greenhouse gases earlier that year, Robot 1-X also ran on pollution and emitted fresh oxygen.

The shift to the new model was neither immediate nor easy: many existing robots needed to have their programming upgraded to be compatible with the new model and the majority of Earth’s robots remain the old, rude, polluting models. Ironically, should Robot 1-X clean up Earth's pollution, the Earth will actually be cooler than it was originally due to the increased distance from the sun. This may help to explain the relative rarity of Robot 1-X's. Robotic Physiology Although robots differ in their composition and function, there are several generalizations that can be made that applies to many robots: Composition Most robots appear to be made of metallic minerals/compounds (i.e. iron, titanium, steel, dolomite ), but there are also examples of robots made of wood and wax. Senses It is stated that robots have 8 senses, including Smision, but do not possess the sense of taste. Antenna Edit Robots all seem to have an antenna someplace on their body, but the reason for this is unclear. They seem to be able to pick up and disrupt radio signals unconsciously and in some cases even project their thoughts to other radio devices (such as a cellular telephone).

Mom revealed that she has all her robots fitted with one so that she can control them using a universal robot controller . Several times it is also stated that it is used as a male reproductive organ. Alcohol Consumption Edit Robots run on alcohol (apparently ethanol), which recharges their fuel cells. When they don't drink, they suffer symptoms similar to those experienced by organics who have imbibed too much alcohol, such as loss of balance, light-headedness and a thick patch of rust around the mouth, similar to 5 o'clock shadow, but called 5 o'clock rust. Death Edit According to Leela, a Robot can be destroyed by hearing a logical paradox, what makes their A.I.'s collapse. On the other hand, the most recent made robots (including the Bending Units) had backups, so their "minds" don't die with their bodies. It is also revealed in The Thief of Baghead that food coloring is the most poisonous substance known to robots and will kill them almost instantly.

After-Life Edit Under certain circumstances (for example a successful suicide attempt, or when the robot's body is buried too close to discarded electronics) a robot's software can be exported to the wireless network shared by all machinery, even if that robot has no back-up unit. In this case, the robot's essence becomes stuck in an "infinite loop" which is inescapable without the intervention of either the Robot Devil or Robot God . When in this state, the robot's essence cannot affect physical matter except for electronic machinery. A device called a "sacramental firewall" however can be used to keep the "robot ghost" from coming closer than 10 feet to it. (It also kills cats.) There is some ambiguity as to whether there are other types of ghosts in the Futurama universe/multiverse-in The Honking it is stated that the last Ghost had died hundreds of years prior, but in Proposition Infinity it is clear that ghosts are legally recognized entities with the right to marry horses. Robotic Culture Like any society, robots have many vices that certain segments of the population engage in.

Examples of such vices include: robot porn, stripperbots, hookerbots, as well as the smoking of cigars and/or cigarettes (to look cool). Jacking-On Edit Perhaps the most controversial vice in robot society is the abuse of electricity. Jacking-on, as it's called, involves the channeling of large amounts of electricity through a robot’s processors, resulting in a psychedelic experience. The experience is highly addictive and may lead to decreased energy levels and/or residual electrical activity in the eyes. The name is a thinly veiled euphemism for masturbation, which can be referred to as "jacking off." This activity is considered to be equal to drug abuse or hook on drug in human counterpart and the effect is similar to drug addiction in human like sensitivity to sunlight or erratic behavior. Spark Edit An analog to drugs for robots which is illegal to possess or use. In appearance it is similar to a crack pipe with a plasma globe on the end. Its use has a tendency to cause a robot's eyes to turn red. Religion Robots also have organized religion, but it is unclear how widespread these beliefs are. It is known that there are "good books." It is also known that a preacher is Reverend Lionel Preacherbot .

Robotology Edit One of the more radical robot religions is Robotology, which holds its members to a strict contract not to engage in any behavior considered taboo among the faith (see the Vice section above). Should the contract be broken, the member would be sent to Robot Hell for eternity. Edit Robots may or may not actually celebrate several holidays of their own, including Robonadon, Robanzaa(which is a sacred tribute to robot ancestral prototypes that takes the form of a drinking contest) and Robonnukah, the most sacred two weeks (or six and a half weeks, or four weeks for a reform-Robonnukah) on the robot calendar which is celebrated with dancing, drinking from a Robo-kiddish cup, the spinning of the Droidel, as well as wrestling of Fembots with illegal five-speed groins in petroleum oil, which has been used up. Robosexuality Edit By the standards of humanity, robots tend to be quite active sexually (probably due to the fact that it is primarily for recreation rather than for reproduction), but relationships between humans and robots are severely discouraged, as well as marriages between the beings were banned on Earth until the passage of Proposition ∞ in 3010 .

In The Bots and the Bees it is revealed that robots can procreate sexually as a means of making up for the inability of Momcorp to make enough robots via traditional methods. Varieties A Fembot is a female version of a robot. Children Robots Edit While robots generally age quite rapidly by human standards (Bender aged in hours for example, another being his son Ben, who ages at 364.2 times faster as a human ), some robots remain children for longer periods of time (such as Tinny Tim ). It is unclear why robots would need children besides child actors, but they continue to be built just the same. Robotic Variations By Function Edit Robots have expanded beyond their original programming to fulfill many functions, some of which would not seem to need to be fulfilled (such as homeless robots or criminal units). The following is a short list of different functions or occupation that robots fulfill as well as three or four examples. Acting Units Bender | Christmas Specials Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Futurama Bender Bending Rodríguez is a fictional robot character in the animated television series Futurama .

Designated in-universe as Bending Unit 22, he fulfills a comic, anti-hero-type role in Futurama and is described by fellow character Leela as an "alcoholic, whore-mongering, chain-smoking gambler". He was made in Tijuana , Mexico in 2997. Bender drinks copious amounts of alcohol to recharge his fuel cells, while displaying symptoms similar to intoxication when he stops. When he burps, fire comes out of his mouth. He gambles, smokes cigars, consorts with hookerbots, had, at one point 50 terabytes of porn on his hard drive, and is constantly trying to gain attention to boost his already over-inflated ego. He is equipped with a gaydar , though it ultimately claims everyone is gay. He currently lives with Fry in his closet-sized apartment , fully equipped with an apartment-sized closet. He hates his self-destruct sequence and has an affinity for turtles (as they both can't get off their back), penguins, and Napoleon Bonaparte. Bender also is fascinated with cooking, though he is shown to have little sense of actual human taste, often creating dishes that can kill plant life.

He also thinks that humans eat rocks. His strangest trait is that magnets, when attached to his head, mess up his inner inhibition unit, causing him to act like a folk singer. The 10 best ... robots – in pictures | Culture | The Guardian The 10 best ... robots – in pictures The 10 best ... robots – in pictures Saturday 16 March 2013 12.00 EDT Kraftwerk The pioneering German knob twiddlers are obsessed by the notion of man and machine in perfect harmony, hence their fixation with cycling. For the cover of 1978 album The Man-Machine, “the electronic Beatles” dressed in red shirts and black ties, then used replica androids to perform The Robots on stage (“Wir sind die Roboter…”). Wags often claim the androids give a more animated performance than the band themselves.

However, Ralf Hütter and co always embraced such comparisons: 1977’s Trans-Europe Express saw them styled as mannequins – a nod to the track Showroom Dummies, which was written in a response to a gig review describing them as such Photograph: PR Pinterest Wall-E Director Andrew Stanton pitched it thus: “What if mankind had to leave Earth and somebody forgot to turn off the last robot?” His subsequent 2008 Pixar film was a deceptively simple tale about a dutiful ‘bot named WALL-E (Waste Allocation Load Lifter: Earth-Class), designed to clean up a waste-covered planet far in the future, who becomes smitten with a robot called EVE (Extraterrestrial Vegetation Evaluator) and follows her into outer space. Beneath its lovable surface, it’s a daring work, virtually silent for the first half, displaying remarkable artistry in its production design and offering a scathing critique of US consumerism Photograph: c.W.Disney/Everett /Rex Features Pinterest Optimus Prime The Transformer toy line was launched in 1984 and spawned three decades of TV shows, comic books and bombastic Michael Bay movies.

Optimus is the franchise’s red-and-blue figurehead: a robot that turns into a giant lorry is cool enough if you’re a kid (or an overgrown one), so one that does that while courageously commanding a fleet of warrior Autobots dedicated to protecting us feeble Earthlings is impossibly cool. “Freedom is the right of all sentient beings,” goes his motto. “No sacrifice is too great in the service of freedom.” He even had a beer named after him (Hoptimus Prime) and a Mr Potato Head toy (Optimash Prime) Photograph: c.Paramount/Everett/Rex Features Pinterest RoboCop The tagline went: “Part man. Part machine. All cop.” Dutch director Paul Verhoeven’s gory 1987 classic starred Peter Weller as a veteran Detroit police officer murdered in the line of duty, but revived by malevolent mega-corporation OCP (Omni Consumer Products) as a superhuman cyborg law enforcer. The deadpan patrolman duly cleaned up the city, while wearing what looked suspiciously like ice hockey gear and a welder’s mask.

Weller lost 3lb a day due to sweating inside the suit, which eventually had an electric fan built into it. There’s a remake out next year, with Gary Oldman and Samuel L Jackson among the cast Photograph: PR Pinterest Bender Named after Judd Nelson’s rebel character John Bender in The Breakfast Club, Bender Bending Rodriguez (he was built in Mexico, hence references to his “swarthy Latin charm”) is the antihero from Matt Groening’s underrated Futurama. The steel sociopath is described by one-eyed sexpot Leela as “an alcoholic, whore-mongering, chain-smoking gambler”. While at college taking Robo-American studies, Bender once chugged an entire keg of beer, streaked across campus and stuffed 58 humans into a phone booth – although he admits that many were kids. He tells people to “bite my shiny metal ass”, steals Jay Leno’s head, fathers a child with a soda vending machine and secretly wants to be a folk singer Photograph: PR Pinterest Marvin the Paranoid Android Bender wasn’t the first robot to struggle with boredom and depression – that honour goes to the ship’s robot from Douglas Adams’s The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

Marvin was inspired not only by Adams’s fights with the black dog but also by Eeyore and melancholy Jacques from As You Like it. “I didn’t ask to be made,” said Marvin, morosely. “No one consulted me or considered my feelings in the matter.” He was played by Stephen Moore in the radio and TV versions, but voiced by Alan Rickman in the 2005 film . Radiohead named the second track from OK Computer after him Photograph: Laurie Sparham/PR Pinterest R2-D2 The fliptop bin on wheels and his neurotic sidekick C-3PO are arguably the most popular robots in history, but plucky little Artoo steals the spot in our top 10, for being more lovable and saving the day in all six Star Wars films (so far). Sure, camp “protocol droid” C-3PO can speak six million languages, but “astromech droid” R2-D2 beeps, whistles and proves that robots can emote without being humanoid or speaking our tongue.

The Abbott and Costello of space were actually inspired by the bumbling peasants Tahei and Matashichi from Akira Kurosawa’s 1958 period drama The Hidden Fortress. George Lucas happily admits that R2-D2 is his favourite actor Photograph: Cinetext/Allstar Pinterest Robby the Robot This early sci-fi icon stole the show in the 1956 film Forbidden Planet – a loose adaptation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, in which Robby equated to enslaved spirit Ariel. Costing $125,000 to build (very pricey for a prop in 1950s Hollywood), he stood 7ft tall with a bulbous body and a transparent conical dome for a head, had a drily witty synthesised voice, twiddly antennae and flashing lights. Robby popped up throughout popular culture for the next three decades, notably in The Twilight Zone, The Addams Family, The Man From Uncle, Lost in Space, Mork & Mindy and Gremlins Photograph: SNAP/Rex Features Pinterest Metal Mickey “Boogie boogie boogie ” was his catchphrase. He ate Atomic Thunderbusters, which looked suspiciously like plain old lemon bonbons.

Created by musical impresario Johnny Edward in 1978 to cash in on the Star Wars craze, this 5ft retro-looking robot first appeared on Bill Oddie-fronted kids’ show The Saturday Banana, before Edward’s friend and former Monkees drummer Micky Dolenz picked up the rights to make a spin-off series: a domestic sitcom in which a science boffin kid created Mickey to help around the house, with Irene Handl playing the grandmother. LWT ran the series from 1980 to 1983 and it attracted 12m viewers at its peak Photograph: ITV/Rex Features Pinterest The Iron Man Subtitled “A Children’s Story In Five Nights”, Ted Hughes’s 1968 modern fairytale featured a giant metal man of unknown origin who arrived in rural England, befriended a small boy and ended up defending Earth from an enormous “space-bat-angel-dragon”. It was memorably read by Tom Baker for Jackanory in 1985, the Who's Pete Townshend turned it into a musical and Warner Bros optioned the story.

To avoid confusion with Marvel Comics character Iron Man, he was renamed The Iron Giant for Warners’ 1999 animated film, set during the cold war. Hughes had given the script his enthusiastic blessing before he died the previous year Photograph: PR Futurama TV Review What parents need to know Positive messages Some characters are lewd and bizarre. Again, the show is unpredictable. Very diverse society with strong female characters. Positive role models Just like The Simpsons, it's the characters' failings that make them so lovable. The robot Bender may be a beer-guzzling rascal, but he's soft-hearted and incredibly loyal. Fry makes boneheaded mistakes, but his motivations are pure. Leela's strength, smarts, and bravery make for good role-model material, but she pines for love. Villains typically get their comeuppance. The cumulative effect of all this is that while individually the characters are flawed, together they can conquer all obstacles. Characters frequently demonstrate perseverance. Violence Not applicable Drinking, drugs, & smoking Bender needs to consume alcohol in order to function, so he's a steady drinker, though not having alcohol actually makes him drunk. Robots … go figure.

Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that because Futurama's content can be unpredictable, it's not meant for younger kids. The language can be crass, there are allusions to sex, characters drink and make drug references, and there is some cartoon violence. In general, characters don't cross the line when it comes to disrespecting each other, which would put the show into a more menacing sci-fi genre. Instead, this is a successful comedy that keeps you wanting more. User reviews Review this title! What's the story? FUTURAMA's premise goes like this: Philip Fry (voiced by Billy West ) is a 20th-century pizza boy who makes a delivery to a cryogenic institute, gets frozen, and wakes up in the year 3001. Fry immediately falls in with his distant nephew, Professor Farnsworth (West again); one-eyed ship captain, Leela ( Katey Sagal ); and their intergalactic delivery crew. He ends up living with kleptomaniac robot Bender ( John Di Maggio ) and patching together a rag-tag family. Is it any good?

QUALITY Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons , is also the mind behind this series, so you never really know where this show is going, but you can expect a great ride. Though his involvement with Futurama wasn't as consistent as it was with The Simpsons, Groening's influence is undeniably felt. Homer and Bart fans will enjoy seeing characters with familiar features; also familiar are the quick wit and unique plot lines. The characters have a lot of character, which can make watching this series very entertaining. Jokes are funny, ironies are ironic, and all of the peripheral details offer bonus laughs -- even book covers, signs, newspaper headlines, and other bits of media featured in the background carry witticisms. But parents should watch out: Anything and everything can happen, and the series' unpredictable nature results in a broad range of potential red flags. Families can talk about... Families can talk about what the "future" means and why so much hope is pinned to it. Futurama's fictional world is diverse -- one topic to raise is how tolerant the average Joe has to be to allow this vision of society to exist. Can robots conceivably be part of human society?

How does this show compare to its TV "cousin," The Simpsons . How are the two shows alike? How are they different? How do the characters in Futurama demonstrate perseverance ? Why is this an important character strength ? TV details Religion | Futurama Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit The episode " Future Stock " introduces Robot Judaism in a scene where Fry and Dr. Zoidberg , seeking free food, sneak into a "Bot Mitzvah" celebration (a spoof of the Bat Mitzvah). As a joke about Kashrut's proscriptions against shellfish, Zoidberg was not allowed in. At the Bot Mitzvah, Fry asks a Jewish robot if they don't believe in Robot Jesus, to which the robot replies, "We believe he was built, and that he was a very well-programmed robot, but he wasn't our Messiah". A banner written in Hebrew reads "Today you are a robot", [5] referencing the traditional Jewish belief that a boy becomes a man on his Bar Mitzvah.

An earlier episode, " Fear of a Bot Planet " also suggested a connection between robots and Judaism, where Bender invents the holiday of "Robannukah" (correlating to Judaism's Hannukah) as an excuse to avoid work, but it is not stated this is actually a Robot Jewish festival. Other fictional religions Edit Passing references are made to other religions, though these are not explored in any detail. In the episode " Hell Is Other Robots ", Professor Farnsworth complains about Bender's devotion to Robotology, asking: "Why couldn't he have joined a mainstream religion, like Oprahism or Voodoo?". The episode " Where No Fan Has Gone Before " presents the situation of a television show becoming elevated to the status of a religion in the form of the "Church of Trek", where devotees of Star Trek worship the characters and attend services dressed as officers and aliens from the show. The logo of the First Amalgamated Church, featuring symbols of several present-day religions. The First Amalgamated Church, a mix of several mainstream 21st century religions is featured briefly in several episodes. The church and one of its priests, Father Changstien el Gamahl , are introduced in the episode " Godfellas ".

Father Changstien el Gamahl reappears in " The Sting " at Fry's funeral service, and in Bender's Big Score at Lars and Leela's wedding. In the last of these appearances, the belief system of the First Amalgamated Church is revealed to include agnostic beliefs, the Father beginning the service with the words: "We are gathered here before one or more gods or fewer...." References to existing religions Edit Aside from inventing religions, the writers of Futurama also make references to established faiths. In the episode " When Aliens Attack ", Earth is invaded by Omicronians demanding to see the season finale of Single Female Lawyer, a television show which was accidentally knocked off the air 1,000 years earlier by Fry . Professor Farnsworth explains that the show no longer exists because most video tapes from that era were destroyed during the Second Coming of Jesus in the year 2443. Ken Keeler , the writer of the episode, considered this joke one of the most blasphemous lines in the show, because it suggested that the Second Coming had been and gone and life on Earth had carried on much as before.

[6] On several occasions, Professor Farnsworth makes references to "Zombie Jesus", usually invoking the name as profanity. These exclamations are usually cut for syndication. [7] Another undead figure, Chanukah Zombie, first mentioned in the episode " A Tale of Two Santas ", makes an appearance in Bender's Big Score . He teams up with Robot Santa and Kwanzaa Bot to fight alien scam artists who have seized possession of planet Earth. His weapons are themed around Jewish symbols and artifacts, including explosive dreidels and a TIE Fighter (a reference to Star Wars; Mark Hamill supplies Chanukah Zombie's voice) adorned with Stars of David and a menorah. The decapodians speek in Yiddish accents, and zoidberg often says Hebrew words like 'l'chaim' and 'mazel tov', these two languages are spoken by many Jews.

Catholicism is shown to still exist in some form in the 31st century, and seems to have spread to non-human races, as the show makes several references to " The Space Pope "; in the opening titles of " Hell is Other Robots " (suggesting the show has been "Condemned by the Space Pope"); in " A Bicyclops Built for Two ", with Bender's rhetorical question "Is the Space Pope reptilian?"; and in " I Dated a Robot ", in an endorsement at the end of an educational film ("Brought to you by the Space Pope"). In the last of these, a graphic displays a picture of the Space Pope as a reptilian alien in Papal vestments, encircled by the words Crocodylus pontifex. In the episode " Fry Am the Egg Man ", Farnsworth says "Now, if there are any catholics out there", when discussing the Latin scientific name of an alien creature Fry adopted. General themes Edit The episode " Godfellas " explores several religious themes, though without explicitly referencing or parodying any particular religion.

Bender is accidentally cast adrift in space and unwittingly becomes a deity figure to a race of tiny people ( Shrimpkins ) living on an asteroid that impacts his body. Bender attempts to answer their prayers, but ends up harming the Shrimpkins. Meanwhile the Shrimpkins who have migrated to Bender's backside, out of his sight, grow frustrated that their prayers go entirely unanswered. Eventually the two factions of Shrimpkins wipe one another out in a miniature nuclear war. After Bender's unsuccessful attempt at deityhood, he encounters a deity-like entity in space. During the conversation between them, the episode touches on the ideas of predestination, prayer, and the nature of salvation in what Mark Pinsky referred to as a theological turn to the episode which may cause the viewer to need "to be reminded that this is a cartoon and not a divinity school class". [2] By the end of the conversation, Bender's questions still have not been fully answered, and he is left wanting more from the voice than it has given him. [2] The character/entity has returned, albeit briefly, in the first of the direct-to-DVD installments, Bender's Big Score . The episode also covers Fry turning to religion to help locate Bender.

Seeking guidance, he visits the First Amalgamated Church, which displays a collection of religious symbols above its door, including a Buddha, a cross, a Star of David, a star and crescent and eight multi-colored stars (most likely symbolizing the unity of religions). Later in the episode, Fry visits the "Monastery of Teshuvah" to use the radio telescope of a sect of monks who are attempting to find God in the universe. Teshuvah is the Hebrew word for repentance. [2] The observatory located in a monastery is also a reference to The Nine Billion Names of God by Arthur C. Clarke. [8] The book Toons That Teach, a text used by youth groups to teach teenagers about spirituality, recommends the episode "Godfellas" in a lesson teaching about "Faith, God's Will, [and] Image of God". [9] References

Question: What is the name of the alcoholic, chain-smoking robot in the television series 'Futurama'?
Answer: 'BENDER'